Here at VVS, set amidst the inimitable red rocks of Sedona, we call our type of education “IB + Dirt”. This unique curriculum is delivered by a talented and energetic faculty 100% invested in delivering a holistic education that prepares their students for a life beyond college as positive change agents of the world. The proof of this lies in the impressive student testing scores, the highly regarded colleges and universities to which they are accepted, and the work they go on to do that is defined by the VVS guiding principles.
VVS began as a love story between a man from Harvard University and the daughter of an English plantation owner living in Guatemala. Hamilton and Barbara Warren took a visionary leap when founding the school in 1948. Post World War II brought a world that was disjointed, with millions of people displaced. In our neighborhood, Native Americans were being sequestered to reservations. The Warrens very intentionally created an international school in the beauty and safety of Sedona to provide a place where students, from all parts of the world, would find acceptance and an opportunity to experience a world-class education. They established the guiding principles that to this day anchor the lives of VVS students and faculty. We live by them each day.
While these principles remain unchanged, how we go about educating our students has appropriately changed over the past six decades to meet the needs of students in an ever-shifting educational climate. The reason we exist today as a school is guided by our history and tradition as a multinational institution of principle, excellence and heart. Our community is comprised of 120 students from 18 countries and 14 states. Students from Afghanistan, Turkey, Syria, Israel, Rwanda, and many other countries, learn world citizenship and cultural understanding through an intentional program. Peace is possible. Verde Valley demonstrates that each day.